OK, well, I still do – but only just barely! A little while ago I wrote about how we revamped our Internet/Television/Phone services. I thought I’d write an update and let you know how it’s going for us. I had some hesitations at first, mainly about losing our DVR and my hubby’s sports channels, and I was slightly nervous we’d regret our decision.
I could not have been more wrong. Over and over we keep saying, “Why didn’t we do this sooner?” We’re saving over $70/month and we’re finding more benefits than we expected. We initially got behind on a few shows that we like to follow, intending to just watch them online. After a little while though, we looked at each other and said we really didn’t care about following them anymore. Our evenings have a lot less television in them and … more talking between hubby and I. Dare I say that downgrading our television has been good for our marriage??? 
Also, my daughter was used to asking for whatever show she’d like to watch (because we would record all her favorites on the DVR) but after being told that we don’t have that anymore she doesn’t ask; she watches almost no television now – love it.
As far as the slower speed Internet, I do notice it’s slightly slower when I need to upload something but it really hasn’t bothered me that much. I also haven’t needed to make a single long-distance phone call on our land line (and have still kept under my allotted cell phone minutes).
The only change we’ve made is that we’ve subscribed to Netflix. Now that we follow so few shows it’s nice to have a movie we can pop in whenever we’d like, usually on the weekends. We used Redbox for a while, which is a really good idea, but we grew tired of their limited list of titles. The great thing about Netflix is that they have tiered plans to fit however many movies you’d like at once. I also want to add - they have a BUNCH of stuff you can watch instantly online (which doesn’t even use one of your rentals). I’ve used this for my daughter’s shows. I truly do not like my daughter watching things full of toy and candy commercials. Having her watch a show through Netflix instead of the television makes her viewing time shorter and leaves out the commercials. Again, love it.
If you’re interested in trying them out to see how quick the mail-it-out/receive-one-back time is or to see if you like the “Watch Instantly” feature then you’re in luck. They’re offering a FREE trial. Try it out for two weeks and if you don’t like it then cancel without obligation. (That’s right, no contracts or sneaky fees). We’ve enjoyed snuggle time on the couch with a movie and a snack and barely watch our cable at all any more.
What role does television play in your home? Do you wish it was different or that you had more control over it? I’d love to hear your comments.
Why I do what I do ~ Chattering on and on, my insightful daughter said, “I’m so lucky. And you’re so lucky. We’re all SO lucky Mama!”
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Nicki,
Well done! My husband and I did the same thing a while back. It’s been great! The hardest thing we found was having to actively decide what to do with our time, TV did that for us before. We are a lot more productive now and accomplish a whole lot more. Our kids don’t really watch TV just the occasional movie, it’s great.
Sherri (Serene Journey)’s last blog post..Best Of Serene Journey: March 2009
We did the same thing last year, when our DirecTV contract ended in July. It’s hard to believe it’ll soon be a year! We still watch TV, using our converter box and antenna (which leaves a lot to be desired, we don’t live close enough to a metro area for reliability). Like you, I was scared to be without my babysitting crutch. But we’ve found so many new outlets, from the park and the library to hanging with friends, that I’d never regret pulling the plug. My one concern is that I’m pregnant, and I remember how glad I was for 24-hour tv when my 5-year-old was a newborn. So we may have to go back to cable for a bit, but I’m hoping we can find a provider that doesn’t require a year contract…
Emily’s last blog post..The Blahs
@Sherri – congrats!
@Emily – we have basic cable (which they don’t even advertise) and there’s no contract for it. We just pay month by month. Maybe that could work for you. Congrats on being pregnant
Great post. One thing that I really have enjoyed lately is using Hulu.com to watch some of my old favorites as well as some new shows. I have found that even my teenage son enjoys watching some of the sitcoms I grew up with, particularly ALF.
BobV’s last blog post..I Love Free Stuff
I want to do this. Hubs and Bubs watch way too much TV at night. I was hoping that the switch to digital tv would do it but we kept cable for whatever reason. Maybe someday.
Liz’s last blog post..And so little time
What a great post! I just spoke to my husband about doing this very thing. We rarely watch t.v. now, and there is no point in wasting $70 per month. YIKES!.